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Press release from the California Economic Development Department:

The Employment Development Department (EDD) announced today it has awarded more than $648,000 for the Supply Chain and Worker Readiness Program (the Program), an integral part of Humboldt County’s groundbreaking offshore wind energy project. The Program is designed to facilitate workforce development efforts over the entire offshore wind project lifecycle and will utilize funds for research, community preparation, and workforce partner development. The funding will also be applied towards the education and capacity building of local businesses to meet Humboldt County’s long-term workforce needs while this new industry is established.

“This offshore wind project will give regional workers access to industry-focused training, supportive services, and employment opportunities,” said EDD Director Nancy Farias. “As our economy evolves, EDD and its regional workforce development partners are focused on preparing California’s workforce for these new opportunities.”

The Program will be administered by Humboldt County’s Economic Development Division in tandem with the Humboldt County Workforce Development Board (WDB). WDB staff will work with program beneficiaries to develop an emerging offshore wind workforce by connecting beneficiaries with partner grants, loans, and technical assistance. While offshore wind is expected to create jobs within construction and skilled trades, such as manufacturing, fabrication, welding, construction, and safety, it also has the potential to grow other local industries including medical, housing and childcare.

To meet the extensive demands of the long-term offshore wind project, the Program will provide supportive services to Humboldt County as it strategically plans to integrate this new industry into its community. Specialized training and education will be made available through partnerships with Cal Poly Humboldt, College of the Redwoods, and labor unions. These programs will provide direct path opportunities that transition participants into employment with businesses that are part of the offshore wind system supply chain. In addition, the Program will support widespread community education and outreach pertaining to offshore wind energy.

Funding for this grant was provided through the discretionary funds made available to Governor Gavin Newsom in accordance with the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and administered by the EDD and the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency.

For more information on this Program, contact Humboldt County’s Economic Development Division Director Scott Adair at 1-707-476-4800.

Humboldt County Drug Task Force press release: 

On September 14th, 2023, Humboldt County Drug Task Force Agents served a search warrant at the residence of Jordan Guthart, Laluna Martin, and Kirk Thurston, located on Manzanita Lane in Redway. HCDTF Agents received information that drug activity was occurring at the residence. 

Upon arrival at the residence, three subjects fled on foot out of the back of the residence. Two of the fleeing subjects were believed to be Jordan Guthart and Laluna Martin. Due to the residence not being secured and other parties being contacted inside the residence, Agents did not pursue the fleeing subjects.

Inside the residence, Agents located Kirk Thurston, 41 years old of Redway. Agents searched the residence and located 4 grams of methamphetamine, 4 grams of fentanyl, packaging materials, a digital scale, four firearms (two of which were assault weapons), ammunition, and one Billy club. 

After interviewing the tenants of the residence and collecting indicia, Agents were able to confirm the bedroom that Guthart and Martin were living in. Agents located a loaded .22 caliber handgun inside Guthart and Martin’s bedroom. Guthart is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. 

Kirk Thurston was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked on the following charges:

• HS11370.1(A)- Possession of Controlled Substances while Armed
• PC30605(A)- Illegally Possess Any Assault Weapon

The following charges will be requested for Jordan Guthart and Laluna Martin: 

• HS11370.1-  Possession of a Controlled Substance While Armed
• HS11351- Possession of a Controlled Substance for Sales
• PC29800(A)(1)- Felon in Possession of a Firearm
• PC30605(A)- Illegally Possess Any Assault Weapon
• PC30305(A)- Felon in Possession of Ammunition 
• PC22210- Possession of a Leaded Cane or Baton 

Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.

Mia Neustein calls her work for Planned Parenthood in the Coachella Valley her “dream job.” She believes in the organization’s mission, and wants to be a part of it for years to come.

But the pace of that work has increased substantially since last year, when the Supreme Court ended the nationwide right to abortion, leading some out-of-state patients to travel to Southern California for care.

That trend, coupled with several local decisions that she said exacerbated stresses on her colleagues, led workers at her clinic last week to vote to create a union. They’re joining a labor movement taking root at a number of other Planned Parenthood clinics in states that have protected abortion rights since the Supreme Court struck down Roe vs. Wade.

“The types of working conditions that we’ve been dealing with, especially in the last year or so, have really pushed people toward realizing how necessary a union is,” said Neustein, who started working for Planned Parenthood as a health center educator two years ago.

Her clinic belongs to Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, a group of 26 sites in Imperial, Riverside and San Diego counties that regularly sees patients from states with abortion restrictions. The organization estimates that 10% of its patients since the 2022 Supreme Court decision have come from other states.

About 93% of the workers who voted to join SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West. After certification by the National Labor Relations Board, the union would represent 550 Planned Parenthood workers ranging from clinicians to registered nurses and licensed social workers.

Workers said they hope to get better pay, an improved time-off policy and safer working conditions through this union.

California voters cemented the right to abortion in the state constitution last year, and Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed more than two dozen other laws that are designed to expand access to reproductive care after the 2022 Supreme Court decision known as Dobbs. He and other Democratic leaders have championed California as a safe haven for women seeking abortions.

At the same time, 22 states have introduced or passed legislation to restrict or ban abortion, according to the news organization Axios. One of them, Arizona, shares a border with California. Arizona prohibits most abortions after 15 weeks.

More abortions in California

In states where abortion remains legal, reproductive care workers have been complaining about being overworked due to increased demand for care from out-of-state patients. Planned Parenthood workers in at least seven states, including Massachusetts and Nebraska, have decided to unionize, according to news reports.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase in patients,” said Libby Kusiak, a certified physician associate at a Planned Parenthood in San Diego. “We see a lot of out-of-state patients since we’re kind of really perfectly nestled geographically to serve and accommodate patients from other states like Arizona, but we do see patients from Texas and other states as well.”

A new study by the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports reproductive rights, shows that the number of abortions in California has increased by 16% since the end of Roe vs. Wade.

It found 12,300 more abortions were performed from January to June 2023 compared to a similar time period in 2020. That marked the second-largest numerical increase in abortions among states.

Cathren Cohen, staff attorney at the UCLA Center on Reproductive Health, Law and Policy, said some patients seeking abortions may be traveling from states where bans have not yet been legalized or instituted.

“When people hear the news about the introduction of bans in states like North Carolina, Florida or even Arizona, there is a significant chilling effect,” she said. “People don’t seek out care because they think it is illegal, even if it is six months before those laws go into effect.”

Planned Parenthood union vote

Reproductive care workers, especially those close to the border, are feeling burdened by the increase in patients. The Planned Parenthood employees who voted to join the union last week said they believe they are underpaid and overworked, contributing to turnover.

“I am excited to be able to hopefully repair employee benefits in this organization in a way that truly benefits our employees,” Kusiak said. “Given how hard we work, when we show up to work every day, we really need to have that better balance in our lives.”

“Given how hard we work, when we show up to work every day, we really need to have that better balance in our lives.”
— Libby Kusiak, certified physician associate at a Planned Parenthood in San Diego

Alex Scordato was one of the earliest employees of Planned Parenthood Pacific Southwest who advocated to form a union.

“It started about a year ago, with actually a conversation between a relatively small group of admin workers and clinical staff,” they said. “We only had about eight people, had an informal session where we’re comparing our pay, talking about various issues.”

The group soon realized that they were dealing with similar issues and decided that a union would be their best bet.

The Planned Parenthood-East Los Angeles Health Center in East Los Angeles on Aug. 8th, 2022. Photo by Raquel Natalicchio for CalMatters

Darrah Johnson, president of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, said in a statement to CalMatters, “As an organization that champions everyone’s right to pursue their own path to a healthy and meaningful life, our goal throughout this process was to ensure that every employee had the opportunity to participate in a fair election.”

“We are proud of the number of staff who participated in the National Labor Relations Board election and made their voice heard today. We look forward to continuing to work together with our staff and now, SEIU-UHW, to ensure Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest is a compassionate and affirming place to give and get care,” she added.

The union could be one of the largest representing Planned Parenthood workers in the country.

“I think this sends a ripple to not only other Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country, but other nonprofit health care organizations, that this is possible, this is coming,” he said. “This is the rebirth of the labor movement. It’s not just a hot labor summer. This is here to last.”

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Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

You may not have seen the headlines (there weren’t any). You may have missed the raucous debate (there wasn’t much of one). But with the end of the legislative session last week, California is now on the verge of laying down a welcome mat for most major affordable housing projects across the state.

That’s not because of a single bill, but a patchwork of current and former legislation that, taken together, “basically covers any flavor of affordable housing you could possibly want to build,” said Linda Mandolini, president of Eden Housing, an affordable housing development nonprofit.

Homes designated for low-income occupants, like all housing projects, face a gauntlet of potential challenges and hold-ups that add to the already exorbitant cost of affordable housing in California. Those hurdles include lawsuits filed under the wide-ranging California Environmental Quality Act, extensive public hearings and other forms of opposition from local government.

Now, affordable housing projects — in most places and most of the time — may soon be exempt from all that, fitted out in a suit of procedural armor made up of some half a dozen bills and laws.

A bill now sitting on the governor’s desk would cover up one of the last chinks in that armor. Assembly Bill 1449, authored by two Democratic Assemblymembers, David Alvarez of San Diego and Buffy Wicks of Oakland, would exempt certain affordable apartment developments from review under CEQA. To qualify, projects would have to be located in dense urban areas, set aside each unit for someone earning less than 80% the area median income and abide by stricter labor standards, among other requirements.

Though modest and technical-sounding, that’s unusually broad for new construction in California.

“I do think it’s gonna be very consequential but it’s kind of flown under the radar,” Alvarez said. His explanation why: “The politics of where Californians are and certainly where the Legislature is — we want to see results. We want to see housing being produced.”

Taken together with a handful of other bills and current laws, said Mark Stivers, a lobbyist with the California Housing Partnership, which co-sponsored AB 1449, the new legislation “effectively make it possible for affordable housing providers to develop nearly all viable sites in California by-right and exempt from CEQA review.”

Speeding up approval for these projects comes with a trade-off. Environmental justice organizations, labor unions and various opponents of new development see CEQA as a vital tool to weigh in and on what gets built, where and and under what terms.

“Our communities rely heavily on CEQA to be able to get more information about proposed developments that might be contributing to further pollution,” said Grecia Orozco, a staff attorney with the nonprofit Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment.

Local activists also often flood the public meetings of city councils and planning boards to pressure elected officials to block unpopular projects or extract concessions from developers.

Whether AB 1449 and a handful of similar bills become law is now up to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Supporters have reason to be optimistic. The Newsom administration is pushing local governments to approve an unprecedented 2.5 million additional homes by 2030, he called the CEQA process “broken” and in the spring he rolled out a package of bills aimed at speeding up environmental challenges to projects — though housing was not included.

He has until Oct. 14 to sign or veto the bills now sitting on his desk.

A patchwork of carve-outs

The Alvarez-Wicks bill isn’t the first legislative effort to grease the skids for new affordable housing.

Two others, both authored by San Francisco Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener, would force local governments to automatically approve apartment buildings in housing-strapped parts of the state and most affordable housing projects on the properties of houses of worship and nonprofit colleges, so long as they comply with a list zoning, affordability and labor requirements.

A third piece of legislation by San Jose Democratic Sen. Dave Cortese exempts the decision by local governments to fund affordable housing projects from environmental challenges, too. Newsom already signed it.

“We want to see housing being produced.”
— Assemblymember David Alvarez, Democrat, Chula Vista

Still awaiting the governor’s pen are a handful of bills that make it more difficult to stall housing projects though environmental lawsuits in general. That includes a bill by Sen. Nancy Skinner, a Berkeley Democrat, that would make it easier for courts to toss out environmental challenges they deem “frivolous” or “solely intended to cause unnecessary delay.” Another by Assemblymember Phil Ting, a San Francisco Democrat, would give local officials a deadline by which to approve or deny a project’s environmental review.

The Ting proposal was fiercely opposed by many environmental activists and the State Building and Construction Trades Council, an umbrella group that represents many unionized construction workers. The bill would also make it more difficult for courts to award legal fees to groups that sue to block projects through CEQA.

J.P. Rose, a staff attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, which regularly brings such suits, called that provision “the largest weakening of CEQA in recent history.”

The fact that this long list of bills passed the Legislature — some by healthy margins — amounts to a notable political shift, said Christopher Elmendorf, a law professor at UC Davis who advised Ting on the bill.

“I think it illustrates that a sea change is underfoot in how people are starting to think about these environmental review laws,” he said, though he noted that the shift in California is still modest compared to those underway in other states.

Earlier this year, the Washington legislature nearly unanimously passed a law to exempt virtually all new urban housing from that state’s environmental protection law.

The grand bargain continued

Many of the California bills build on a law passed last year that streamlines affordable housing construction along commercial corridors.

In cobbling together the law, its author, Wicks, struck a compromise: In exempting certain housing projects from environmental challenge and other local hurdles, developers would pay workers a higher minimum wage, provide them with health care benefits and abide by other stricter labor standards. That trade was the key to winning the support of the state carpenters’ union and breaking up a legislative logjam that had stymied housing production bills for years.

It also provided a template for Wiener’s two streamlining bills this year, along with the Alvarez-Wicks CEQA exemption proposal.

“That really laid the foundation for those of us who did work in the housing space this year,” said Alvarez.

“Our communities rely heavily on CEQA to be able to get more information about proposed developments that might be contributing to further pollution.”
— Grecia Orozco, staff attorney, the nonprofit Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment

Not every pro-housing advocate or CEQA critic is so content with the bargain.

“A lot of these bills help a little,” said Jennifer Hernandez, a land use attorney at the law firm Holland & Knight, who has catalogued CEQA challenges to housing projects for years. But she notes that swapping out the threat of environmental litigation with higher payroll expenses just replaces one cost with another.

In practice, she said, these exemptions are only likely to clear the way for substantial new housing construction in higher cost areas where developers can make up the difference by charging higher rents to non-subsidized residents. “You really need premium rentals to pay for those higher labor standards,” she said.

But for many affordable housing developers, it’s still a trade worth making.

“You’ve got really strong laws, clear exemptions, and an attorney general who’s willing to step up and say you got to build it,” said Mandolini with Eden Housing, who has been working on housing in the state for more than two decades. “This is the best it has been in California…If this had all existed 20 years ago, we might have built a lot more housing a lot faster.”

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Christopher George Gurin was born in Pontiac, Michigan on November 26, 1952, and died in Eureka, August 24, 2023. Chris lived in Michigan until a teenager, and after the death of his father, he, his mother and sister Cynthia moved to Florida. He graduated from high school in Florida and shortly thereafter joined the army. He was trained as a corpsman and was eventually stationed at Letterman Hospital at the Presidio in San Francisco. Chris developed a love for San Francisco and visited there often throughout his life. While still in the army Chris traveled throughout northern California, loved what he saw in Humboldt county, and decided to move there after his tour of duty ended. Trained as an LVN, Chris was hired at St Joseph’s Hospital, and simultaneously enrolled at HSU eventually earning a BA in Geography and getting a teaching credential. However he never worked as a teacher, he obtained an R.N license by challenging the state boards. He worked at St. Joseph his entire career.

Chris met his wife, Suzanne Flynn, (also a nurse) at St Joseph’s, where they worked together. Their daughter Catherine was born in 1983.

Chris was man with a curious mind, sharp intellect, and wide range of knowledge and interests. His libertarian passion and gentle nature made him a thought provoking and dear friend. He loved riding motorcycles and frequently took long trips, often with friends, but also on his own. He was an avid hunter with both rifle and bow, and routinely brought home game. Chris was an insatiable sci- reader, feeding his friends with the latest and best books he could find. Later in life he developed an interest in anime that he frequently shared. Chris loved being with his friends and family but was equally content, curled up at home with a good book. Chris appreciated fine art. He had an impressive and eclectic collection of art covering all the walls of his house. He loved all kinds of music. As well as art, he had an extensive collection of vinyl records and CD’s that he enjoyed sharing with his friends. He volunteered at KHSU radio at Humboldt State, hosting his own radio shows , including the Frank Zappa radio hour, and blues and jazz shows.

He is pre-deceased by his parents and former wife Suzanne. He is survived by his daughter Catherine, sister Cynthia Poplawski, special cousin Kathy Gurin, many more relatives in the Midwest, and friends far and wide. A celebration of life/memorial service will be held October 21, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at the Bayside Grange, 2297 Jacoby Creek Road.

The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Chris Gurin’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

PREVIOUSLY: Officer-Involved Shooting in Hoopa Leaves Suspect Dead; HCSO and DA’s Office Investigating

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, an officer involved shooting occurred in Hoopa involving the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The Humboldt County Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) is investigating this incident in conjunction with the California Department of Justice.

This incident update (#2) is to provide a more in-depth release of information.

At approximately 7:30 a.m., a CHP officer with six years of service and a deputy with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) were monitoring traffic in the 12700 block of California State Route 96, south of Legion Way. The law enforcement officers observed a silver Volkswagen Jetta traveling on SR 96 with a broken windshield, a violation of VC 26710. Additionally, the driver was not wearing their occupant restraint, a violation of VC 27315(d), and the vehicle’s lighting equipment was not functioning as required per California Vehicle Code requirement(s). The CHP officer attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, which failed to yield. The officer pursued the vehicle for approximately a quarter mile onto Mesket Lane, where the vehicle came to a stop at a turnout. The HCSO deputy followed the pursuit from a distance. 

Upon coming to a stop, the driver of the vehicle fled on foot down a trail into a nearby residential and wooded area. The CHP officer pursued the man for approximately 200 yards. In the area of Alameda Lane, a violent confrontation occurred between the driver and CHP Officer. The specific details of this confrontation remain under investigation; however, initial evidence indicates the officer deployed a taser during this altercation, striking the man. An officer involved shooting followed and the man sustained multiple gunshot wounds, succumbing to his injuries on scene. The officer sustained serious head injuries and a bite wound as a result of the confrontation and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

While this was occurring, the HCSO deputy arrived at the vehicle’s location and contacted two adult female occupants. Both women were detained, questioned and released as part of this investigation.

The Humboldt County Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT), led by the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Division and the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office, was activated to investigate this incident. 

During their preliminary investigation, investigators determined the decedent did not have any weapons defined by the Department of Justice as “deadly” in his possession at the time of the officer involved shooting.

Under Assembly Bill 1506, all incidents of an officer involved shooting resulting in the death of a civilian armed with specific weapons must be investigated from inception to conclusion by the California Department of Justice’s Police Shooting Investigation Team (CaPSIT). The goal of the CaPSIT program is to produce the most comprehensive, thorough, accurate and timely investigation possible. As a third-party investigator, this team serves to add increased transparency in the officer involved shooting investigation process and ultimately submits its findings to the California Attorney General for review.  

HCSO investigators immediately notified the Department of Justice (DOJ) following this incident. The CaPSIT team arrived to begin their investigation at approximately 6 p.m. that evening.

During a search of the Jetta, investigators located a loaded firearm, drug paraphernalia and an open container of alcohol.

A forensic autopsy is currently in the process of being scheduled. Identity confirmation of the decedent will be available for release following the autopsy.

In alignment with Humboldt County CIRT’s transparency protocol, the name of the involved CHP officer and number of rounds fired will be released as soon as it can be done without compromising the integrity of the investigation. Investigators are still in the process of identifying and collecting any available video footage related to this incident. The CHP officer was not equipped with a body worn camera. 

This case remains under active investigation by Humboldt County CIRT and the CA DOJ. Upon completion, the CA DOJ will submit their independent report to Attorney General Rob Bonta for review. The CIRT investigation will be turned over to the District Attorney for review.   

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family of the decedent and the Hoopa Valley Tribe during this difficult time. We appreciate the community’s patience and cooperation as this complex multi-agency investigation continues. The Sheriff’s Office would also like to thank Tribal Chairman Joe Davis, the Hoopa Tribal Council and the Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Department for their invaluable assistance during the initial investigation.

California Highway Patrol release: 

On 09/12/2023, at approximately 0557 hours, Ashley Hipol was either walking or lying partially within the right lane of US-101 Southbound, south of Palmer Blvd. An unknown vehicle traveling on US-101 Southbound struck Hipol’s left leg, causing major injuries. It is possible the involved driver may not have been aware that Ms. Hipol was struck, and did not stop at the scene.

Humboldt Area CHP is requesting assistance from the public to locate the vehicle involved in this crash, and identify the driver. If you have any information regarding this crash, please contact Officer Jason Esselman at the Humboldt Area CHP at 707-822-5981, or contact the Humboldt Communication Center at 707-268-2000, and reference CHP Crash #9125-2023-00678.